R. M. T. Dahlgren et al. (1985) placed Odotostomum in the family Tecophilaeaceae, where it fits securely if one is recognizing the many possible segregate families of Liliaceae. With some reservation, these authors put superficially similar Californian genera such as Chlorogalum and Schoenolirion in Hyacinthaceae, which suggests that the relationship of these genera to Odontostomum is somewhat distant.